There’s nothing worse than discovering that your car battery is flat. No matter where your car is parked, it’s never a convenient time unless you’ve made it to one of our many retail outlets.
When you suspect your car has a flat battery, it’s always best practice to confirm this status by visiting your closest Willard Xpress or battery replacement or fitment centre that stocks Willard batteries.
But what if you need to test your car battery yourself? What steps should the car owner take to ensure they’re able to keep driving?
How to Test Your Car’s Battery Correctly
It’s a good idea to avoid testing the car’s battery directly after it has been driven. The reason for waiting is to ensure that the surface charge in the battery has dissipated.
If you do test the car’s battery right after driving it, you could get an incorrect reading because of this charge. So, make sure to leave your car standing for a few minutes before testing.
If you really can’t wait, you can switch on a feature in the vehicle that consumes a lot of power, for instance, the lights and heater.
To test your car’s battery, you must use a multimeter to measure the voltage. Some multimeters will automatically adjust depending on the device you’re testing. If this isn’t the case for your meter, select the 20-volt DC voltage measurement.
When using any tool or measuring device, make sure to read through the user manual for instructions. As a rule of thumb, most multimeters will require that you touch the red probe to the positive terminal of the battery and the black probe to the negative terminal.
A resting and healthy car battery should give you a reading of 12.6 volts and no lower. If your reading is 12.2 volts, the battery is only technically 50% charged. And when your reading is below 12 volts, it is classed as discharged.
When your battery has a low reading, make sure to recharge it by using a smart charger.
Most modern cars will lose memory settings when disconnected, so the vehicle’s radio will need to be reprogrammed, possibly with an activation code.
If you take your vehicle to a battery stockist centre, they will have a battery analyser, which will diagnose your battery’s health.
These devices will give you a detailed printout telling you what’s potentially wrong with your battery.
It’s always in your best interest to get your battery tested before becoming stranded.
But what are the general signs that your car battery is going flat?
Signs That Your Car Battery Is Going Flat
Most car batteries will indicate that they’re not in the best condition. These signs include:
- A battery that is slower to start the car. This slower start could be an indication of a parasitic drain of power.
- Your car’s lights and electric systems turn on, but the engine does not turn over. A car battery needs to deliver a high amount of current to start the motor.
- A more severe sign is if the battery under the bonnet starts to become swollen. If this is occurring, it is a sign that the battery is being overcharged and you have an alternator fault. Any damage to a battery will mean having to replace it.
- Any odour from your battery is bad. If you do smell rotten eggs, your battery has been venting a build-up of gas. This smell is in fact hydrogen sulphide gas, so replace the battery immediately.
- And the last sign we’re going to mention is if the battery warning light on the dashboard illuminates.
Another symptom contributing to your battery being considered flat is old age. Unfortunately, all batteries have a limited lifespan, which can also vary due to several factors.
But your best bet is to simply test the battery yourself or take it to a battery fitment centre that has a battery analyser.
Visit a Willard Xpress Centre or Battery Fitment Centre to Replace The Battery
Those who don’t want to deal with the hassle of figuring out if they need to replace their flat battery can simply drive into a Willard Xpress or local stockist of Willard Batteries for a new unit.
No waiting is required, and the battery is guaranteed to start your vehicle the first time – every time.
